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Funeral Homes Info

What is the Georgia Vital Events Registration System (GAVERS)?

The Georgia Vital Events Registration System (GAVERS) is the vital records registration and certificate issuance software used by the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Office of Vital Records. It permits the input of death information electronically, eliminating the need to submit paper worksheets.

 

How does GAVERS work?

First, you enter the decedent’s name and demographic information in GAVERS. Then, GAVERS electronically alerts the certifying physician that a record is ready for completion and verification. Next, the physician (or designated staff) enters the cause of death and other information and electronically verifies the record. Once the record in GAVERS is complete and verified, the DeKalb County Board of Health’s Vital Records Office can obtain a death certificate from the system.

 

How can my funeral home become part of GAVERS?

To join GAVERS and receive training on the system, contact the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Office of Vital Records at (404) 679-4745 or DPH-GAVERSadmin@dph.ga.gov.

 

How do I submit a death record worksheet or a long-form certificate?

Worksheets and long-form certificates can be submitted in one of three ways:

  • Through GAVERS
  • In person
  • By fax to (404) 508-7895 (fax a cover sheet and the worksheet with the cause of death, interval, and physician’s name and title)

 

What time do you stop accepting worksheets and long-form certificates for same-day processing?

Worksheets and long-form certificates are accepted until 4:00 p.m. for same-day processing. Worksheets and long-form certificates received after 4:00 p.m. will be processed the following business day.

 

How do I order a death certificate?

Complete this form. Then either:

  • Bring it to the Office of Vital Records in the Richardson Health Center
  • Email it to dekalbvitalrecords@dph.ga.gov
  • Fax it to (404) 508-7895


Payment is due upon receipt of the certificate(s).

 
 

How do I obtain permission to have a body cremated, shipped out of Georgia, or donated?

A permit is required to have a body cremated, shipped out of Georgia or donated. Click on the link for the Permit for Disposition of Human Remains form.

Submit the completed form to the DeKalb County Vital Records Office, along with the death certificate worksheet or long-form certificate. The Vital Records Office will then issue a permit.

 

How do I obtain permission to have a body disinterred and reinterred?

A permit is needed to have a body disinterred and reinterred in a different cemetery. Click on the link for the Application to Disinter/Reinter Human Remains form. A permit is not required to relocate a body within the same cemetery.

Submit the completed form to the DeKalb County Vital Records Office, along with the death certificate worksheet or long-form certificate. The Vital Records Office will then issue a permit.

 

How can I receive training and assistance from the Georgia Office of Vital Records?

Regional consultants are available to provide training and assistance. They serve as liaisons between funeral homes and the Georgia Office of Vital Records. The regional consultant for DeKalb County is:

Jerrica Barnes
West Regional Consultant
(770) 909-2984
jerrica.barnes3@dph.ga.gov

Or, you can contact the Georgia Office of Vital Records at (404) 679-4745 or DPH-GAVERSadmin@dph.ga.gov.

Birth Certificates

You can order a birth certificate in person, by mail or online. Certificates from 1919 to the present are available.

Death Certificates

You can order a death certificate in person, by mail or online. A death certificate is available for 75 years after the death.

SERVICE ALERT:

All DeKalb Public Health clinics and offices will
closed early Friday, December 13th at 11:00 a.m. for a staff event. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Regular hours will resume Monday, December 16th. Thank you!

SERVICE ALERT:

Due to unplanned maintenance,
our Clifton Springs Health Center will be on CLOSED on Monday, November 4, 2024.

Our East DeKalb, T. O. Vinson and North DeKalb
Health Centers remain open to serve you.

We apologize for any inconvenience and
appreciate your understanding. 

SERVICE ALERT:

Due to unexpected maintenance, our Clifton Springs Health Center will be closing early today at 2:30 p.m.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Thank you!

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, on October 13, 2025, in observance of the state holiday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, on September 1, 2025, in observance of Labor Day.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, July 4, 2025, in observance of Independence Day.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, June 19, 2025, in observance of Juneteenth.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed, May 26, 2025, in observance of Memorial Day.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed April 18, 2025, in observance of the State holiday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday.

SERVICE ALERT:

Our health centers will be closed on January 1, 2025, in observance of the State holiday.

AIR QUALITY UPDATE 

Current weather models show that winds will begin to shift
from the east to the west after sunset on Wednesday.

Smoke from the BioLab facility fire in Rockdale County is predicted to settle towards the ground as it moves toward Atlanta. There is a high likelihood that people across Metro Atlanta will wake up on Thursday morning seeing haze and smelling chlorine.

For more information about health precautions, click here.

last updated 10/2/2024 at 5:45 p.m.

Warning SERVICE ALERT UPDATE Warning

DeKalb Public Health will resume normal operations
for all health centers and services at 8:15 a.m.,
on Monday, September 30.

SERVICE ALERT 

Due to today’s worldwide cybersecurity outage, some services have been impacted.

  • You may experience delays reaching our Call Center, which handles health center appointments.
  • WIC benefit issuance is unavailable at this time. However, eWIC cards can still be used at authorized WIC vendors.


This outage has not only affected DeKalb Public Health, but other government and business services, in Georgia, throughout the nation and internationally.

We apologize for the inconvenience and greatly appreciate your patience, as we work with our partners to fully restore systems.

SERVICE ALERT: Our health centers will be closed on Tuesday December 24 and Wednesday, December 25th, in observance of the holiday. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

SERVICE ALERT: Our health centers will be closed on November 28-29th, in observance of the State holiday.

SERVICE ALERT: Our health centers will be closed on Monday, November 11th, in observance of the Veterans Day holiday.

SERVICE ALERT: Our health centers will be closed on Monday, October 14th, in observance of the State holiday.

SERVICE ALERT: Our health centers will be closed on Monday, September 2, in observance of the holiday. Have a safe and healthy Labor Day! 

SERVICE ALERT

In observance of Juneteenth, all DeKalb Public Health centers will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th. #happyjuneteenth

SERVICE ALERT: Our health centers will be closed on Thursday, July 4th, in observance of the Federal Holiday. Have a safe and healthy Fourth of July!